Eastern Catholics and the Immaculate Conception

This is the Byzantine icon for the Feast of the Conception of the Saint Anne. Popular as a gift for newlyweds, it commemorates the Virgin Mother’s conception. Note the furniture in the background.

“Especially for the Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, our Glorious Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary!” - from the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom

Wikipedia offers:

Some Catholic theologians have also found Scriptural evidence for the Immaculate Conception in the angel Gabriel’s greeting to Mary at the Annunciation, (Luke 1:28). The English translation, “Hail, Full of Grace,” or “Hail, Favored One,” is based on the Greek of Luke 1:28, “Χαίρε, Κεχαριτωμένη”, Chaire kecharitomene, a phrase which can most literally be translated: “Rejoice, you who have been graced”. The latter word, kecharitomene, is the Passive voice, Present Perfect participle of the verb “to grace” in the feminine gender, vocative case; therefore the Greek syntax indicates that the action of the verb has been fully completed in the past, with results continuing into the future. Put another way, it means that the subject (Mary) was graced fully and completely at some time in the past, and continued in that fully graced state. The angel’s
salutation does not refer to the Incarnation of Christ in Mary’s womb, as he proceeds to say: “thou shalt conceive in thy
womb…” (Luke 1:31).

Dr. Alexander Roman writes well about this in the following article.

But for thos inclined to spend a few minutes, I commend to you the exceptional work of fellow Greek Catholic Joseph Daniel Barton A Byzantine Defense of the Immaculate Conception

Worth listening to, you Latins (hehe): On the Miraculous Medal

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